Typewriting machine



Oct. 2, 1928.

H. S. LASHER TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Oct. 24, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Mremor Oct. 2, 1928. 1,686,014

H. s. LASHER TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed'Oct. 24. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Barn! V/t'W 4/ /ll van for Patented Oct. 2, 1928.

UNITED. STATES PATENT oFFIcE.

mm B. OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T UNDERWOOD ELLIOTT 11am COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A OOBPOBA TION OF DELAWARE.

'IYPBWRITING MACHINE.

Application filed October 24, 1925. Serial No. 64,589.

This. invention relates to machines such as the well-known Underwood fan-fold typewriter, in which a work-web is usually led into the machine in a longitudinally fanfolded condition, carbon-holders being provided for strippin the carbons, which interleave the lies of t e web. It is also desired to split t e folds of the web before typing, this splittingq being usually accom lished by knives attac ed to the carbon-ho ders in a manner to separate the plies when the carbons are shifted.

In some instances, particularly when the web has many plies, sometimes as many as 15 a total of fourteen, there is considerable separation of the lies owin to the thickness of the carbonolders. aid holders are usually placed sidewise so thatthe uppermost blade is much above the lowermost blade with a ,corre onding separation of the web-plies; a condition tending to distort the web and entailing awkwardness in handling the work. One of the difliculties is that at the usual splitting operation the ply at the to of the web is held taut, while all the plies beneath it are more or les loose,

and since all of the plies between the carbonholders and the platen are separated from one another, there is apt to be lack of pro or registration between the plies where t ey travel around the platen, so that the typing does not fall at the proper point on the carbon-co ies. Moreover, on .account of the distortion of the plies at the points where the knives operate in each of the high-set carbon-blades, there is apt to be fouling, tearing and other injury to the plies.

It is an object of this invention to provide simple, inex ensive and reliable means 4 for overcoming t is, which can be readily applied to existin machines and easily and positively operate d to split the plies a art,

while insuring proper registration 0 the plies with one another when passing around the platen, and to avoid tearing the sheets.

In carrying out this invention, there is provided a web-splitter which may be inde pendent of the carbon-carrier and which ma be mounted upon the same tracks as the carbon-carrier, but between the latter and the platen. This splitter is in the form of a truck having rolls to run upon the usual tracks employed by the carbon-carrier, the truck having at each end a set of splitti blades which may be all of the same lengt or difi'erent len hs, according to the character of the wor -web to be split. There is used one set of splitters at each end of the splitting truck so as to take care of all of the folds of the fan-fold web, and preferably each set of blades is adjustable as a unit independently of the other set in a direction transversely of the web, so as to accommodate difierent widths and lateral positions of the web.

The splitting truck may be operated b hand just prior to the typing of a fresh form on the web. After the com letion of the typing of a form, the revolu le platen is displaced upwardly and the composite work-web is straightened out and brought forward to a gage, and the forward end of the web is held against the gage while the carbon-carrier is thrust rearwardly along its tracks to strip the carbons from the typed web-sections and bring the carbonsto the succeeding web-sections. Then the platen is swung ,down to typing position, where it cooperates with the usual feed-rolls to hold the composite web against movement. Then the splitting truck is pushed backwardly and the folds of the web are split to an extent equal to the len h of one of the printed forms thereon. t the ensuing typing operation the splitting truck an the carbonas carrier both advance with the composite web until the typing of the form is completed. It will thus be seen that all that portion of the web which envelopes the carbon-blades remains unsevered, and hence that each ply is in perfect registry with the remaining lies. The fold-splitting extends only a ittle way back from the platen, and hence registration of the printed forms when around "the platen is assured. 0a

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a sectional view, in elevatlon, of a fan-fold Underwood typewriting machine having the invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 1s a diagrammatic view, showmg the fan-fold web in its straightened out position, ready to shift the carbons.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view, showing the slitting truck in its normal position after slitting the plies of the web.

Figure 4 is a plan view, showing the novel means for slitting the web.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional View, in elevation. through line 55 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a bottom view of the slitting truck.

Figure 7 is a perspective view, showing one of the slitting knives co-operating with the plies of the web.

Figure 8 shows a longer knife for slitting short folds of the web.

According to the method of handling the work in this invention, a longitudinally fan-folded web 10 is drawn up from a supply at the rear of the machine, and is passed over a support 11, the leading edge of the web being threaded between carbon-holders 12 having carbons 13 secured thereto. The leading edge of the web is then adjusted so as to line up with the leading edge of the carbons to form a pack 14 which is inserted at the rear of a. platen 15, down a chute 16 to engage with feed-rolls 17 under the platen. The platen is then rotated to position the web so that the first form may be typed by means of type-bars 30.

There is rovided a slitting truck or plate 18 arranged to be moved on rails 19. Upon said truck 18 there are provided a plurality of blades or knives 20 pivotally mounted upon studs 21 fast to plates or supports 22 on the truck. Said blades may be swung into effective or ineffective position, and may be locked in either position by means of finger-screws 23. \Vhen the blades are swung into effective position, each blade is inserted between two plies of the web as shown in Figure 7.

After typing a complete form, the platen is elevated in the regular manner to a position as shown in Figure 2, and then the leading edge 24 of the web 10 is pulled forwardl to a gage 25, and, while said leading edge is held against a gage support 26, a carbon-carrier 27, upon which the carbonblades are mounted, is moved backwardly b means of a handle 28, so as to present 1: e carbons 13 to fresh forms of the web. The carbon-carrier may be limited in its rearward travel by a gage 31 adjustably the other two wheels being mounted on the other side of the truck for the purpose of holding the truck in a horizontal position, and the latter wheels engaging with the other rail 19.

In order that the slitting knives 20 may be positioned to suit the width of the web, there are provided adjusting means includin slots 34 in the frame of the truck, in whic slots the plates 22 may be slid. Sometimes the plies of the web are folded, so that some of the folds are shorter than the others, and, in order that all the plies may be simultaneously slit, it is proposed to make some of the knives long enou h to reach the shorter folds of the web. uch a long knife is shown in Figure 8 and is indicated by the numeral 35.

Referring to Figure 5, in which the details of construction of the truck 18 are shown, it will be noted that various means have been resorted to in order to provide a truck which will be strong and light and which can be easily adjusted. Four of the wheels 33 are mounted upon a frame 36 which is secured to the truck by means of screws 37. Said frame is bent downwardly and inwardly to provide pockets for the wheels which are revolubl mounted upon studs 38. At the other side of the truck the wheels are also revolubly mounted upon a detachable frame 39 which is secured to the plate 18 by means of screws 40, the wheels being mounted upon studs 41.

In the particular construction adopted to render the slitting knives adjustable, the studs 21 are riveted or otherwise secured to the plates 22, into which plates there are also secured studs 42 passing through the slots 34 in the plate 18, the latter-mentioned studs being effective to prevent rotation of the studs 21 when the finger-screws 23 are rotated to bind the knives 20 in either effective or ineffective positions. In order that the finger-screws 23 may be used for the double purpose of lOCklIl the knives in place and to prevent their displacement, there are provided plates 43, each plate having two holes for receiving the studs 21 and 42 so as to provide means to Hide the assembled unit in the slots 34. be )rovided with a flange 44 to prevent their falling through when the finger-screws 23 are removed to replace or change the position of the knives.

It will be understood that the slitting knives are arranged on the studs 21, so that they may be individually swung between the plies of the web. To this end, the plates 43 are provided with upwardly-extending walls 45, against which heels 46 of the knives 20 may rest, thus holding the knives in their proper angle when slitting the plies of the web. In order that the knives may be swung to ineffectivepositionfit is proposed to proe studs 21 may.

vide the heels at one side only, as shown in Figure 7, the other side being rounded at 47.

The web is laterally positioned by means of side gages 48 adjustably mounted upon the support 11, and, in order to control the web near the carbon blades, there may be provided additional side gages 49 slidably mounted upon a block 50, upon which the carbon-holders are mounted.

In order to control the travel of the truck 18, there may be provided a stop device 51 co-operating with a lug 52 projecting downwardl from the plate 18. The stop device is slidiibl mounted upon a bar 53, secured to one 0 the rails 19 by means of screws 54 and may be positioned to correspond with a form-length by means of a fingerscrew 55.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the im rovements may be used without others.

aving thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a fan-fold typewriting machine having a platen, a webcourse at the rear of said platen. and a carboncarrier, arranged to reciprocate upon said course, for controlling the position of carbons interleaved with the the plies of a fanfolded web, of fold-slitters mounted on the machine at the intake side thereof and operable independently of the movement of the carbon-carrier and effective to slit the stationary web.

2. The combination with a typewriting machine having a platen, a web-course at the rear of said platen, and a carbon-carrier, arranged to reciprocate upon said course, for controlling the position of carbons interleaved with the plies of a fan-folded web, of means independent of the carbon-carrier to slit the plies of the web previously to entering the platen, said means including a truck arranged to reciprocate upon said course, between the carbon-carrier and the platen, and a plurality of slitting blades interleaved with the lies of the web, said blades being operatlvely mounted on said truck.

3. The combination with a typewriting machine having a revoluble platen. a frame at the introductory side of the platen for guiding a longitudinally fan-folded web to the platen, means for shifting carbons interleaved with the plies of the web, and means for displacing the platen preparatory to shifting the carbons, of means for separating the plies of the web independently of the shifting of the carbons, said last-mentioned means including a series of slitting knives pivotally mounted upon a truck arranged to reciprocate upon said frame, and means for locking the slitting knives in either effective or inefiective positions.

of said knives ma be adjusted to webs of different widths, t e knives being designed to interleave with the plies of a web at the edges thereof.

5. In a fan-fold typewriting machine, a platen, a carbon-carrlcr movable to strip the carbons. and fold-slitting devices carried by said machine effective to slit the stationary web between the platen and the carbon-carrier.

6. In a fan-fold typewriting machine, a platen, a carbon-earner, fold-slitting knives carried by said machine and movable independently between the platen and the carboncarrier, and a handle for imparting motion to said knives.

7. In a fan-fold typewriting machine. a carbon-carrier, means for slitting the plies of a fan-folded web before typing, said means including, in combination, a pair of rails at the introductory side of the platen of the machine, a truck arranged to reci rocate upon said rails independently of t 1e carbon-carrier, slitting knives on said truck, wheels carried by said truck and cooperating with said rails, and a stop for limiting the travel of the truck upon said rails.

8. In a fan-fold typewriting machine, a carbon-carrier movable to strip the carbons, means for slitting the plies of a fan-folded web before typing, said means including, in combination, a pair of rails at the introductory side of the platen of the machine, a truck arranged to reciprocate upon said rails independently of the movement of the carbon-carrier, slitting knives on said truck, and wheels for mounting the truck on said rai s.

9. In a fan-fold typewriting machine. a. revoluble platen, feed-rolls, a frame at the rear of the machine having rails, 11 reciprocatin carbon-carrier on said rails, means for guit ling a longitudinally fan-folded web over said rame, and means for separating the plies of the web while the web is-held between the platen and feed-rolls previously to positioning around the platen, said lastmentioned means including a truck slidably mounted on said rails, said truck carrying slitting devices includin cutting blades engaging the opposite fol s of the web, so as to separate the plies when the truck is moved rearwardly, and a handle carried by said truck for imparting motion thereto.

10. In a fan-fold typewriting machine, a revoluble platen, a carbon-carrier, feed-rolls, a frame at the rear of the machine having rails for guiding the carbon-carrier, means for guidin a longitudinally fan-folded web over said rame, and means for separating the plies of the web previously to feeding thereof around the platen, said last-mentioned means including a truck arranged to reciprocate upon said rails independently between the platen and the carbon-carrier, slitting blades interleaved with the plies of the web, at the folds thereof, said blades being adjustably mounted on said truck, and stopdevices co-opcrating with gages adjustably mounted upon said rails to limit the travel of said truck.

11. In a fan-fold typewriting machine having a revoluble platen, a carbon-carrier, feed-rolls, a frame at the rear of the machine having rails for guiding the carboncarrier, means for guiding a longitudinally fan-folded web over said frame, and means for separating the plies of the web previously to feeding thereof around the platen, said last-mentioned means including a truck arranged to reciprocate upon said rails indeendently between the platen and the caron-carrier, a series of fold-slitting knives adjustably mounted in slots in said truck, and means for securing the knives in slitting ositions, said last-mentioned means including sup orts guided by said slots and having stu 5 fast thereto for receiving a set of knives, and finger-pieces for securing the knives to said supports.

12. In a typewriting machine having a revoluble platemfeed-rolls, a frame, at the rear of the machine, having rails for guiding a. reciprocating carbon-carrier, means for guiding a longitudinally fan-folded web over said frame, and means for separating the plies of the web previously to entering the platen, said last-mentioned means including a late arranged to reciprocate upon said rails, between the platen and the carbon-carrier, a series of slitting'knives adjustably mounted in slots in said plate, and means for securing the knives in positions corresponding to the widths of the webs, said last-mentioned means including guidemembers having studs fast thereto for receiving the knives, and finger-pieces for tightening the knives against said guide members, said finger-pieces being also effective to lock the guide-members in said slots, thereby preventing displacement of the knives when the means for separating the plies of the web are operated.

13. In a ,fan-fold-web typewriting machine, a revoluble platen, a carbon-carrier movable to strip the carbons, fold-slitters mounted at the introductory side of the platen and operable independently of the movement of the carbon-carrier and effective to slit the stationary web, and side-ed e guides for directing the web to the fold-shttars.

14. The combination with a fan-fold typewriting machine having a revoluble platen, a platen-frame therefor, and a frame, at the introductory side of the platen, for conducting a multiple-ply fan-folded web to said platen, said last-mentioned frame having parallel rails for guiding a carbon-carrier arranged to reciprocate toward and away from said platen, of means for slitting the plies of the web, said means including a plate arranged to reciprocate toward and away from said platen, sliding members arranged for lateral adjustment in slots in said plate, knives pivotally mounted on said sliding members, said knives being swingable into effective and ineffective positions, and means for locking the knives in either effective or ineffective positions. said last-mentioned means being also effective for locking the sliding members in the slots in said plate.

15. In a fan-fold typewriting machine. a platen, a platen-displacing frame, feed-rolls, a carbon-carrier at the rear of the platen and having the carbons thereof interleaved with the plies of a fan-fold web inserted between the platen and the feed-rolls, and means op eratively mounted on said machine for sl1tting the folds of the stationary web independently of the carbon-carrier and with the platen gripping said web against the move-' ment of the feed-rolls.

16. In a fan-fold typewriting machine, a platen, feed-rolls therefor, a carbon-carrier at the rear of the platen and having the carbons thereof interleaved with the plies of a fan-fold web, the platen being displaceable to permit withdrawal of the carbons from typed portions of the web by a rearward movement of the carbon carrier, and means 0 eratively mounted on said machine 1" for slitting the folds of said web after the platen has been returned to grip the web against the feed-rolls, and hold it stationary during the slitting operation.

17. In a fan-fold typewriting machine, a platen, feed-rolls therefor, a carbon-carrier at the rear of the platen and having the carbons thereof interleaved with the plies of a fan-fold web, the carbons being narrower than the web, so as to leave uncovered margins at the opposite side edges of said web, and fold-slitters operatively mounted on said machine and engaging the folds of said web at the opposite sides thereof, said fold-slitters only extending into said margins, to slit the folds of the web along the portion interleaved with carbons.

18. In a fan-fold typewriting machine, a platen, feed-rolls therefor, a carbon-carrier at the rear of the platen and having the carbons thereof interleaved with the plies of a fan-fold web, the carbons being narrower than the web, so as to leave uncovered margins at the opposite side edges of said web, and fold-slitters operatively mounted on said eeann machine and enga 'ng the folds of said web at the opposite si es thereof, said fold-slitters onl extending into said margins, said slitters ein operable independently of the movement 0% the carbon-carrier, so as to slit said folds with the platen gri ping the web and the carbons against the fbed-rolls, and holding them stationary during the slitting operation.

19. In a fan-fold typewriting machine, a platen, a carbon-carrier at the rear of the laten and having the carbons thereof intereaved with the plies of the fan-fold webiand movable to strip the carbons, feeding devices for the web, and means operatively mounted on said machine for slitting the folds of the web after feedin thereof be 0nd the carboncarrier, independently of t e movement of the carbon-carrier and while the web is held stationary by the feeding devices.

20. In a fan-fold typewriting machine, a platen, feed-rolls therefor, a carbon-carrier movable tostrip the carbons, and means operatively mounted on said machine for movement independently of the movement of the carbon-carrier for slitting the folds of the web while the carbons and the web are around the laten and gripped stationary against the eed-rolls.

21. In a fan-fold-web typewriting machine, aplaten, a carbon-earner, a travelin support at the rear of the laten an movable independently of the car on-carrier, and f ld-slitters carried b said support, said folds itters including re atively short, stiff blades projecting into the edges of the folds from the outside of the web and only deep enough to slit said folds.

22. In a fan-fold-web typewriting machine, a platen, a carbon-earner, a traveling support at the rear of the platen and movab e independently of the carbon-carrier, and fold-slitters carried by said sup ort, said fold-slitters including relatively s ort, stifl' blades projectin into the edges of the folds from the outsi e of the web and only deep enough to slit said folds, said blades bein dis folds p 23. In a fan-fold typewriting machine for a fan-fold web having the lies thereof'differing in width, a series 0 fold-slitting devices including blades of difierent lengths mounted adjacent the outer edges of the web and extending into the folds from the outside and only deep enough to extend into the marginal borders between the web-plies connected by said folds and operative to sever the connecting folds.

24. In a fan-fold typewriting machine, a

aceable, to free them from the platen, feed-rolls therefor, a carbon-carrier aving the carbons thereof interleaved with the plies of a fan-fold web, a foldslitting device carried by said machine between the platen and the carbon-carrier, said device being movable to slit the folds of the web while the platen grips the leading portion of the web a ainst the feed-rolls and the carbon-carrier is stationary, and a stop for limiting the slitting stroke of said device.

25. In a fan-fold-web typewriting machine, a plurality of fold-slitters ivotally mounted on the machine and mova le individually thereon into slitting or non-slitting positions.

26. In a fan-fold-web typewriting machine, the combination with a platen and a carbon-carrier, of a plurality of fold-slitters operable independently of the movement of the carbon-carrier, and effective to slit the stationary web, said fold-slitters being permanently carried by the machine and movable individually into slitting or nonslittin positions. V

27. n a fan-fold-web typewriting machine, the combination with a laten and a carbon-carrier, of fold-slitting evices operable independently of the movement of the carbon-carrier and efi'ective to slit the stationary web between the carbon-carrier and the laten, said fold-slitting devices including mives permanently carried by the machine and selectively movable into cutting relation with the folds of the web between the web-plies along their margins, or noncutting relation w1th the folds of the web entirel outside of the web-plies.

28. n a fan-fold-web typewriting ma chine, the combination with a platen and a carbon-carrier, of a slitting truck movable independently of the carbon-carrier between the same and the platen, and a set of slitting knives mounted upon a vertical axis at each side of the web, the knives of each set being individually swingable about their axis into cutting relation with the web-folds, or to non-cutting positions. a

29. In a .fan-fold-web typewriting machine, a set of fold-slitting blades carried permanently big the machine at each side of the web, said ives being arranged in tier and selectively movable mto cutting relation with the web-folds between the webplies at the margins thereof, or movable to non-cutting positions entirely outside of the web-plies, and clamping means for holding the knives in either of said positions.

30. In a t pewriting machine, the combination wit a carriage and a platen, of

means for directing a fan-folded web toward the platen, a carbon-sheet-holding device arranged to be reciprocated on said carriage, said device including bars extendin from opposite sides'between the folds of t e web to which the ends of the carbons are secured, and means for splitting the plies of the web, said last-mentioned means including knives arranged to interleave with the plies of the web, said knives being rockably mounted upon studs to facilitate the individual web, and means for elevating the platen 10 during the carbon-shifting operation, of means for slitting the plies of the web previously to the insertion of the Web around the platen, said last-mentioned means being operable after the completion of the carbon- 15 shifting operation.

HIRAM S. LASHER.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent meninges.

Granted October 2, 1928, to

HIRAM S. LASHER.

lt is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 4, line 94, claim 15, before the compound word "carbon-carrier" insert the words "movement of the", and lines 95 and 96, strike out the words "movement of the"; page 6, after line 16, insert the following as claim 32:

32. The combination with a typewriting machine having a platen, a platen-frame therefor, means for elevating said platen by rocking said platenframe, and a web-course at the introductory side of the platen for conducting a longitudinally fan-folded web, having a plurality of plies, to the platen. said course having rails, for guiding a carbon-carrier arranged to reciprocate upon said rails, of means for slitting the plies of the web at the folds thereof, said last-mentioned means including a slitting truck arranged to reciprocate upon said rails, said truck including a plate, wheels under said plate to facilitate the sliding of the truck, knives on said truck interleaved with the plies of the web. said knives being rockahly mounted on studs, the studs being mounted on the plate, and means for simultaneously looking all the knives in either eifectiveor ineffective position, said last-mentioned means being also effective to lock the studs on which the knives are rockably mounted to said plate;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 27th day of November, A. D. 1928.

hi. J. Moore,

(Seal) Acting Conunissioner of Patents.-

upon studs to facilitate the individual web, and means for elevating the platen 10 during the carbon-shifting operation, of means for slitting the plies of the web previously to the insertion of the Web around the platen, said last-mentioned means being operable after the completion of the carbon- 15 shifting operation.

HIRAM S. LASHER.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent meninges.

Granted October 2, 1928, to

HIRAM S. LASHER.

lt is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 4, line 94, claim 15, before the compound word "carbon-carrier" insert the words "movement of the", and lines 95 and 96, strike out the words "movement of the"; page 6, after line 16, insert the following as claim 32:

32. The combination with a typewriting machine having a platen, a platen-frame therefor, means for elevating said platen by rocking said platenframe, and a web-course at the introductory side of the platen for conducting a longitudinally fan-folded web, having a plurality of plies, to the platen. said course having rails, for guiding a carbon-carrier arranged to reciprocate upon said rails, of means for slitting the plies of the web at the folds thereof, said last-mentioned means including a slitting truck arranged to reciprocate upon said rails, said truck including a plate, wheels under said plate to facilitate the sliding of the truck, knives on said truck interleaved with the plies of the web. said knives being rockahly mounted on studs, the studs being mounted on the plate, and means for simultaneously looking all the knives in either eifectiveor ineffective position, said last-mentioned means being also effective to lock the studs on which the knives are rockably mounted to said plate;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 27th day of November, A. D. 1928.

hi. J. Moore,

(Seal) Acting Conunissioner of Patents.- 

